Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast

About Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast

Welcome to the Energy Central Podcast Network—your ultimate resource for the biggest ideas, boldest perspectives, and best insights from across the electric power industry. We publish… Power Perspectives. From CEOs of major utilities to founders of energy tech startups pushing the envelope, Power Perspectives curates the news, thought leaders, and big picture conversations most important to modern power professionals—every week on Tuesdays. The Watt & Why. Dive deep into utility business strategies, straight from the minds of the leaders deciding what comes next. Host Mike Smith leverages his own decades of power utility industry experience and leadership to get to the bottom of what inspires, drives, and challenges utility decision makers. And there’s even more to come. Energy Central is a community where 250K electric power professionals share, learn, and connect in a collaborative environment. Want to join in? Visit www.EnergyCentral.com to register for free.

Publisher

Energy Central

Category

business · science · technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 Dec 2019

Latest episode

29 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

327 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   29 Sept 2026

   Should your utility be using AI agents?

   What could AI agents actually do for a utility today? Power Perspectives host Matt Chester talks to AI strategist Jeff Wilser about the work beyond the buzzword. They explore how AI agents could search years of filings, and turn interviews with retiring employees into searchable institutional knowledge. Jeff also explains why human judgment remains essential when mistakes carry real consequences for customers and the grid, and highlights the limitations of the technology. For utility leaders ready to experiment, he offers practical starting points that you can start implementing today even if you’ve never used AI agents before.

2. 

   25 Sept 2026

   Why Utilities Are Turning to DERs as Power Demand Surges

   Electricity demand is rising fast, and utilities are looking for new ways to add capacity without waiting years for traditional grid upgrades. Distributed energy resources (DERs) are becoming an increasingly important part of that equation. In this episode of Power Perspectives, Energy Central’s Matt Chester sits down with Todd Jackson of PowerSecure to explore how utilities are using DERs to manage peak demand, support large loads like data centers, improve resilience during extreme weather, and gain more flexibility in how they invest in the grid. They also discuss what makes a successful utility DER program, why customer participation matters, and how distributed resources could play a much bigger role as electricity demand continues to grow. Thank you to PowerSecure for partnering with us on this episode.

3. 

   22 Sept 2026

   How Clean Energy Became a Republican Issue, Too

   Heather Reams spent about a decade working to bring more Republicans into the conversation around climate and clean energy policy. In this episode of Power Perspectives, she shares what she learned from working directly with lawmakers, why clean energy politics often depend on local economics and geography, and how rising electricity costs and demand are changing the conversation. We also explore where bipartisan agreement exists—and where it breaks down—on issues including permitting reform, grid modernization, nuclear energy, renewables and emerging technologies. Plus, Reams explains why she believes affordability and energy abundance are becoming increasingly important forces in U.S. energy politics.

Who has been a guest on Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Alice Yake
• Matt Chester
• Sabine Erlinghagen
• Kevin Walker
• Darrin Kinney

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

40,232

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.6 / 5

12 ratings

Spotify

4.6 / 5

15 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 82 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

90

Social presence

0

YouTube

92

Engagement

90

Contact Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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Questions about Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast